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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Lions Gate
Salesrank: 7565
Released: June 13, 2006 |
| Our Price: $5.42 |
| Used Price: $3.55 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Set in the 1930s on the beautiful shores of the Italian Riviera A Good Woman follows the seductive Mrs. Erlynne (Hunt) scorned by many as a woman of ill repute leaves New York for the Amalfi coast where she hopes to find a new patron among the vacationing aristocrats. The mean-spirited gossip stirred up by Mrs. Erlynne s arrival isn t enough to dissuade the jovial kind-hearted Lord Augustus (Wilkinson) from falling in love with her.But Mrs. Erlynne has already set her sights on the married Robert Windermere (Mark Umbers) a wealthy young American who falls quickly under her spell. Windermere s faithful wife Meg (Johansson) is herself distracted by the flirtatious overtures of Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore) a notorious playboy. But when she learns of her husband s blossoming affair Meg resorts to drastic measures with unexpected consequences for everyone involved.System Requirements:Running Time: 93 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG UPC: 031398185789 Manufacturer No: 18578
Description of A Good Woman:
Scarlett Johannson and Helen Hunt give Oscar Wilde's popular play Lady Windermere's Fan a lavish jazz-age treatment in A Good Woman. An adventuress (Hunt, As Good as It Gets) flees scandal in New York and lands in Italy, where she crosses paths with a young businessman (David Hasselhoff look-alike Mark Umbers) and his very upright young wife (Johansson, Lost in Translation). Before long, tongues are wagging about the adventuress and the businessman, possibly driving the wife to a rash act. A Good Woman retains Wilde's plot--though its 19th century moral concerns don't have the same punch in 1930s Italy--and tosses aside most of his impeccable dialogue, sprinkling his clever epigrams here and there in the otherwise undistinguished dialogue. Johansson, perhaps the most physically sensual actress since Brigitte Bardot, is miscast as the moral prig; Hunt, looking pinched and austere, is miscast as the jaded courtesan. The movie's great saving grace is Tom Wilkinson as a rich man who hopes Hunt will warm his older years. Wilkinson brings a worldly benevolence to every moment he's on screen, making the lines that weren't written by Wilde sound as crisp and wise as if they were. --Bret Fetzer
A Good Woman Reviews:
One of My Favorites 
2008-09-09 - I saw this film on an international flight a couple of years ago, before it was released in the US, and loved it. I thought everyone in it was great, the location perfect for the story, and that all of the elements came together nicely. I've seen it several times since and my feeling for this film has not changed. It's one of my all-time favorite films.
Pleasantly Surprised by Character-driven Storyline
2008-06-20 - I was pleasantly surprised by this film. The deep characters enthralled me, especially Helen Hunt's character, who lives a conflicted life without regrets--if you can believe that--and who is immediately sympathetic, despite her nefarious reputation. The complex character-driven storyline kept me on the edge of my seat, literally. At one point in the film, I jumped from my seat, angry at one of the antagonists, a wimpy, red-headed prig, with a little dog she obviously loves more than she loves other people--I jumped from my seat in anger, certain she was going to hell. Everything came together in the penultimate scene, which set up a resolution I did not see coming. This is a story about love, trust, gossip, and the nature of truth.
Note that Helen Hunt plays a different kind of character in this film, one that not everyone may find enjoyable. And some of the characters are weak, thrown in for comedic effect, which unfortunately doesn't always work. And if the critics are right, you might enjoy Oscar Wilde's original play more, but you can't get that on DVD.
Bottom line: There is only a handful of films that have enthralled me as A Good Woman has. Despite the critics' balking, 93 minutes well-spent. I rate it 5 stars out of 5, because not only did I love watching it, I feel like I want to watch it again as soon as possible.
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
2008-06-01 - I expected light fluff from this movie and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was so much more. It had so many elements that I love in movies: great scenery, great dialogue, wit, humor and touching moments. I watched it twice in one week (not counting the time with the commentary) and cried both times at one scene. Telling too much about the plot will spoil it for anyone who wants to be surprised. Just watch it. Helen Hunt is outstanding. Actually everyone is good.
Hollywood at its very best
2008-04-19 - During the last few years while Hollywood was immersed in their orgy of films that celebrate violence, death and destruction three small European companies got together and hired a gifted writer to adapt Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, for those who may not be familiar, a much heralded stage drama (a Comedy of manners as it was then called) first presented in the London stage in 1892.
Here is story containing much of the original, brilliant wit of Oscar Wilde. Here is a lovely cast of carefully selected, talented actors and here is a motion picture every bit as filmic as anything yet done, re-set at the 1930 seaside village of Amalfi, Italy, a watering place for the rich in pre-Hitler Europe.
The period is lovingly restored perhaps only in the ways of Italian craftsmen in costume, architecture, ambiance and even camera film tone. This care extended to the performances by actors we all recognize and admire; Helen Hunt, here, surprisingly beautiful, Tom Wilkinson and Scarlett Johansson.
The film was not really seen here although apparently released theatrically. Why not is puzzling and why the critics did not like it while they go bonkers over junk is far beyond my ken.
Fortunately I saw the entire movie on Comcast's On Demand completely free of breaks and commercials on my large Sony Bravia. For two hours I was in heaven with my cup of coffee and a cinnamon-raisin bagel from Brueggers' downstairs. If you want to escape to what surely was a more graceful time of letters and human behavior please get a hold of the DVD which is available at this writing.
Sorry movie 
2008-04-13 - I am a big movie fan and especially period pieces but this was a sorry movie! Helen Hunt delivered her lines with less emotion than a waitress behind the counter of Denny's. Her voice tones are great for sarcasm but for meaning and depth lines it stinks.
Johansson was as pale as a ghost. Sure she was a very young innocent but she needed some rouge. I also thought she looked downright ugly and dowdy in this movie. Altho the costumes were beautiful she was an ugly ducklying standout.
The whole movie lacked the delicate touch and nuance a Wilde story should have. Helen Hunt was the biggest standout as missed casting. She may do in cutting edge stories in 2000 but not in this period piece.
The scenery and costumes were about the only redeeming factor in this movie.
